Horns are hollow and pointed. They are attached to the bone of an animal’s head. Horns are made of keratin, a type of protein. Keratin is the same material that makes up hooves, hair, fingernails, and feathers. Animals may be born with those things, but animals are not born with horns. The horns grow as the animals get older.

Horns grow in pairs, one on each side of the head. Horns vary greatly in size and shape. Bighorn sheep have large, curled horns. Antelope have long, thin horns that point upward. Oxen have long, heavy horns that stick out from the sides of their heads.

Animals use horns as weapons to protect themselves from enemies. They also use their horns in battles with other animals of their kind. In some types of animals, only the male has horns. In others, both males and females have horns. A large set of horns may impress mates. They show that the animal has lived a long time and can defend itself.

Hornlike antlers grow from the heads of deer, elk, and moose. Antlers are not true horns, however. They are bone with a velvety covering. Antlers fall off every year. Horns never fall off.

Many lizards have bony stalks that look like horns. Giraffes have knobby growths made of bone covered with skin and hair. The single horn of a rhinoceros is actually made of hardened hairs that are tightly bunched together.

Want to see it in action?

Start a free trial

E-mail

To

From

Sender NamePlease enter your name.

Sender EmailPlease enter a valid email address.

Translate this page

Choose a language from the menu above to view a computer-translated version of this page. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. Britannica does not review the converted text.

After translating an article, all tools except font up/font down will be disabled. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar.